Effects of Globalisation on Religious Fundamentalism

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Mass exposure and public access to the Internet has however delegitimized “traditional structures of religious authority” (Aly, 2012). Traditionally, religious authority is legitimised “through normative regulation, professionalised communication skills and community trust (Aly, 2012). In authentic Islamism religious authority is handed over to opinion leaders, individuals that have reliable information about religious matters and members that are trusted by the rest of the community (Ramachandran, 2010). However globalisation has lead to diasporic communities and anyone that has access to the Internet has the power to provide religious information to other members of the community, which maybe true or false. According to Khalil & Surendran (2006), jihadist fatwas that are religious fundamentalists and extremists, who are not seen in the conventional Islamic world as appropriate religious authorities, are accepted as religious leaders in the online community. Thus Internet has challenged traditional religious structures by establishing a competitive online market, giving anyone the freedom to assemble and create their own religious standards and values. Religious extremist groups, who are taking advantage of globalisation and modern technology, have also recently spawned across the globe due to increased political friction amongst cultural and religious groups (Aly, 2012). Extremist groups uses the Internet to communicate, seduce and plan violent extremism campaigns through inciting hatred and justifying revenge in the name of religion and sacred texts. Not all online communities are however radical or extremist in nature. Some religious websites simply promote conspiracy theories and do not endorse violence. However all websites preach a fundamentalist worldview that embeds oppositional forces of good (us) and bad (them), pressuring members “to either be with us, or against us” (Barzilai-Nahon & Barzilai, 2005). Individuals use the Internet to re-establish their religious identity in a secular environment. Internet thus played the role of ‘online radicalisation’ and offered alternative realities and biased truths, encouraging members to become part of a social community with borders created by religious extremists.

In contrast to popular belief, dimensions analysed makes you question the extent to which access to technology and information helps reduce seclusion of religious fundamentalist communities. According to Barzilai (2003), seclusion was promoted through the Internet as studies report that religious fundamentalists use the online network to further research information about their own faith instead of gaining a better understanding of other religions (Aly, 2012). Online communities found a way to protect a religious group from secular cultural transplantation and encouraged fundamentalism through modifying and localizing technology to preserve a community’s seclusion. Therefore according to Barzilai-Nahon & Barzilai, (2005) cyber religious culture exposes individuals to radical and fundamentalist influences that expand beyond traditional spheres of knowledge and authority causing “longstanding pragmatic shifts within societies through emphasizing differences and promoting seclusion.

I agree with both the theories presented above as they are interrelated and one cannot occur without the other. Through migration individuals lose surety of self, pushing them towards religion as a marker of self-identity. This is intensified and encouraged through technology and online religious communities that provides them with a social group that ultimately restores their identity. Fundamentalists’ place emphasis on doctrinal conformity more than love and tolerance as they believe in absolute conformity to doctrine in order to achieve salvation. They believe they are right and often they are justified to impose their worldview on others, sometimes by force if necessary. Example, Christian fundamentalist groups shut down abortion clinics by force while threatening employees and even murdering doctors working there (Giri, 2001). Fundamentalism often has a broad appeal as it provides an easy way into believing that God is on your side, justifying arrogance and superiority. Fundamentalism promotes hatred in the minds of its followers making it incredibly dangerous as adherents are brainwashed into believing that god despises the same people they do, approving and encouraging indulgence in hatred. This is seen in fundamentalist terrorism that commits suicide bombings and murder in the name of “God’s will” (Khalil & Surendran, 2006). Fundamentalism is a concern within society as it encourages prejudice, intolerance, and xenophobia in its adherent’s minds. Religious fundamentalism breeds itself on violence to human freedom and is often the culprit for economic and social depression. Human progress is essentially the quest of finding the absolute truth. To the extent fundamentalism impedes this quest, human progress is put on hold.

References

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